Practice the back rounded vowels, u vs y
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| This is the u sound. And this is the y sound. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to tell them apart, PLUS you'll be practicing them and on your way to perfect pronunciation! |
| I'm Doria, and this is French Pronunciation Through Minimal Pairs. |
| First is u. This is the u sound in nous, fou, où, and other words. |
| y is the y sound in une, tu, rue, and other words. |
| u and y are both pronounced with rounded lips. |
| In Lesson 5, we have learned how to make the u sound: part the lips and round them more tightly. The tip of the tongue a little to the back of the mouth. |
| u |
| [3 sec pause] |
| u (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| u |
| u |
| [3 sec pause] |
| u (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| u |
| In Lesson 6, we have learned how to make the y sound: first make the i sound and round your lips without moving your tongue. |
| y |
| [3 sec pause] |
| y (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| y |
| y |
| [3 sec pause] |
| y (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| y |
| The difference between these two sounds is the tongue position. |
| y is a front vowel, and u is a back vowel. |
| When you say the vowel /u/, like in roue, |
| the tongue is in the far back of the mouth. |
| For the vowel /y/, like in rue, |
| the tongue is in the front part of the mouth. |
| So, Listen to the difference and repeat after me. |
| u y. |
| [3 sec pause] |
| u y (enunciated). |
| [3 sec pause] |
| u y. |
| u y. |
| [3 sec pause] |
| u y (enunciated). |
| [3 sec pause] |
| u y. |
| So try to focus on the tongue position when you pronounce these two sounds. |
| Listen and repeat or speak along with me. |
| Ready? |
| roue/rue |
| (space for repetition) |
| roue/rue |
| tout/tu |
| (space for repetition) |
| tout/tu |
| Let's review. Respond to the prompts by speaking aloud. Then, repeat after me, focusing on pronunciation. |
| Do you remember the sound where the tongue is positioned in the front? |
| (3) |
| (2) |
| (1) |
| y |
| (1) |
| y |
| And the sound where the tongue is positioned in the back? |
| (3) |
| (2) |
| (1) |
| u |
| (1) |
| u |
| Let's practice. |
| Compare the sounds in these two words. Which word has the front vowel, and which has the back vowel? |
| roue/rue |
| (1) |
| roue/rue |
| (1) |
| Rue has the front vowel, and roue has the back vowel. |
| Let's try another. |
| (3 sec pause) |
| tu/tout |
| (1) |
| tu/tout |
| (1) |
| Tu has the front vowel, and tout has the back vowel. |
| Let's try one more. |
| (3 sec pause) |
| dessous/dessus |
| (1) |
| dessous/dessus |
| (1) |
| Dessus has the front vowel, and dessous has the back vowel. |
| Now, listen to the following sentences. Which words have the front vowel, and which have the back vowel? |
| (1 sec pause) |
| Il y a une roue dans la rue. |
| roue, rue |
| (3 sec pause) |
| Tu peux tout faire. |
| (3 sec pause) |
| tu, tout |
| (3 sec pause) |
| Read the following sentence out loud, focusing on the different sounds. |
| L'horloge est au-dessus de la fenêtre, le chat est en dessous. |
| (3 sec pause) |
| dessus, dessous |
| By the way, if you watched til the end |
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